1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fire protective apparel, in particular to fire protective coats, and more particularly to fire protective coats which include throat protectors for covering the gap between the left front and right front portions of the coat collar when the collar is in a raised condition.
2. The Prior Art
Throat protectors for fire protective coats worn by firefighters, emergency responders, rescue workers, etc., are well known. These protectors conventionally include elongated strips of fabric that include Velcro® attachment patches for detachably connecting the elongated strips tabs across the gap at the front of the coat collar when the collar is in a raised position. However, known protectors are not constructed such that the Velcro® attachment strips can be protected from the damaging effects of fire, heat or environmental contamination when detached from the collar. This is a disadvantage because such Velcro® attachment patches are not required by code to be constructed of fire and heat resistant materials, and they generally are not. When exposed to the environment, they can become deteriorated over time and eventually inoperative.
We have devised a throat protector construction that includes an elongated fabric strip (tab) for placement over the gap between the front edges of the collar and which includes attachment means that can be protected from the damaging effects of fire, heat and contaminants even when the throat protector is detached from the collar.